Secular trends in eating attitudes and behaviours in children and adolescents aged 10-18 years in Cyprus: A 6-year follow-up, school-based study

Objective: To assess the eating attitudes and behaviours of the Cypriot adolescent population at national level, and evaluate secular trends between 2003 and 2010.

Study design: A representative sample of children and adolescents aged 10-18 years participated in a school-based, cross-sectional study during the academic years 2003-2004 and 2009-2010.

Methods: Participants completed the Eating Attitudes Test-26 (EAT-26) and Eating Disorder Inventory-3 (EDI-3) questionnaires at school.

Results: Almost one in three females and one in five males scored above normal (≥20) on the EAT-26. No change in the frequency of pathological scoring was found for the drive for thinness or body dissatisfaction subscales of the EDI-3 between 2003 and 2010. However, there was a significant increase in the frequency of pathological scoring for the bulimia subscale for both genders. Females consistently scored higher than males on most scales.

Conclusion: Disordered eating attitudes are common, with a worrisome increasing trend in bulimia among adolescents in Cyprus. There is an urgent need for intervention.